Our First Children’s Hospice Experience
Rochelle Followes
I am parent to a gorgeous little blue eyed boy who has complex needs. I have a Facebook page, 'my daily miracle' where I share our life with others...
The Hospice was absolutely stunning, I was overwhelmed at the beauty of it and the staff that are so dedicated to making it such a magical place.
The visit however, came with lots of emotions and thoughts.
My emotions were a mixture of excitement, joy and sadness.And let's not forget confusion, as I was confused about the way I was feeling and I why I had such negative emotions in such an incredible place.
The excitement came in because Zachariah was able to access things he could not access elsewhere, he was able to have hydrotherapy sessions with a physio which is so beneficial to him as he has low muscle tone.
I was excited for Zachariah and the prospects he was facing!
The joy came in because an amazing place had accepted Zachariah into their family and greeted him such huge open arms, they looked at my son for his achievements and his capabilities rather than his condition.
The staff seemed fearless but yet soft and warm, they had such love for the children who accessed the hospice.
I felt joy because there was this absolutely incredible place that was catered completely for my son with hoists, roomy corridors, wide doors, adjustable beds, soft and safe play areas, a fully accessible park and lots more.
It was literally the most perfect place for him!
I felt joy because our family was so blessed to have free access to the magical place because they have hard working staff who fight for funding, and because they have lots of dedicated investors who believe it is a worthy place for their money.And then came the sadness as I looked at the Hospice as a place where my son may not only spend poorly days, but also somewhere he may spend his final days.
Too honest? Too hard to hear?
I’m afraid to say it but this is how my brain has been digesting it all.I have to prepare myself when visiting as I do not want to feel this devastation, I do not want to be thinking of such times, I want to be enjoying every moment in the present, not grieving over the future.
I want to be 100% positive when I enter this place, I want it to be magical like I had described earlier.
So I’ll end my blog on a high and celebrate this lovely place, these amazing staff and what they bless my family with.
I’ll celebrate my son, and what he has achieved so far and look forward to the future, a future where there are no limits, but an opportunity in every moment!
